FLOATERS: ‘Float On’ (ABC 4187)
Much imported dreamy smoocher, 12-inched with elongated 11:49 and edited 4:13 sides. The last half of the long side is much stronger than the short singles version, which stupidly misses the catchy slow “Aquarius, Libra, Leo, Cancer” intro. A summertime smash!

SHALAMAR: ‘Uptown Festival’ LP (Soul Train FL 12289) (LP mentioned in Billboard column 4/23/77, LP Billboard chart debut 5/14/77)
For those without the 12-inch, here’s the full 8:52 version – plus a copy of the Jacksons’ great ’75 leaper, ‘Forever Came Today‘.

“Big deal” 12-inch EP mania seems to be sweeping the record biz, with Pye’s set of 4-track 12-inchers being followed by Anchor and Capitol – the latter of whom in fact started it off with their hit Tavares effort a few months back. Capitol’s new “Soul Special” promotion sees two more EPs, available on 7-inch at 70p or 12-inch at 99p – BUT, if you buy both at the same time and in the more expensive form, you also get for free a ten-track “Capitol Soul Special” sampler LP! This features such as Maze, Sun, Caldera, Inner Circle, Rance Allen and Freda Payne, while the EPs are by the Sylvers and Natalie Cole.

Robbie Vincent and other import fans are currently raving about a punchy little platter by an all-star cast of Philadelphia International artists. Due for release here soon (and already played on Robbie’s Radio 1 show), the group is called literally the Philadelphia All-Stars and they sing a slab of social commentary by Gamble and Huff, ‘Let’s Clean Up The Ghetto’. Lou Rawls starts it conversationally over an infectiously chugging rift from MFSB before being joined with vocal support, and solos, from Dee Dee Sharp, Billy Paul, Archie Bell, Teddy Pendergrass and the O’Jays. Some stars, huh?!?

Grapevine is a Northern-aimed new label set up by Kings Lynn importer John Anderson with RCA, and its first three releases are now out.

RICHARD “POPCORN” WYLIE ‘Rosemary What Happened’ (GRP 100) is an interesting near-muddle which keeps on driving through the clutter, and SOUL TWINS ‘Quick Change Artist’ (GRP 101) is a traditional Fred Smith/’Duck’-type stomper. Both are from ’67 and the Karen label, while STANLEY WOODRUFF & THE U.S. TRIO ‘What Took You So Long’ (GRP 102) is an attractive oddly-arranged churner of recent vintage. Cheers!

The Midlands have a large enough population to influence record sales, and the local disco DJ’s have in turn realised their own influence over the population.

Many of them are members of a record pool, undertaking to promote certain singles in a co-ordinated “power-play” push in return for free records from the companies involved. However, their influence remains local, and not national. Why, you may ask?

Well, for a start, you might have noticed the relative absence of Midlands contributors to this page’s DJ Hotline — and, consequently, to our Disco Chart. Unimportant though these may seem to insular Midlands jocks, think of the influence that these features could have if every week their “power-play” pick was made public.

Other DJ’s, not to mention record stores and radio stations, would then be encouraged to try the disc too.

Already many record companies recognise our importance by asking DJ mailing list applicants if they contribute to our chart, and the importance of the information gathered in this way is soon to increase.

The Midlands jocks purport to help record companies, but how whole-hearted is that help? Only by looking outside their own cosy circle can they make their influence known on the scale where it matters — nationally!

New Spins

JOHN MILES: ‘Slow Down’ (Decca F 13709) (Billboard chart debut 3/12/77)
Originally a blue-eyed soulster before he made ‘Music’, John’s now huge in US discos with this frantic ultra-fast funky galloper – 12-inched commercially here.

GARNET MIMMS & TRUCKIN’ COMPANY: ‘What It Is’ (Arista 12 ARISTA 109) (Billboard chart debut 3/26/77)
The Brass Construction-backed smash has been delayed so that now this commercial 12-inch can launch it hitwards!